His Dangerous Obsession

Chapter 12: The Final File

The red door stood at the end of the hallway.

Elena couldn't take her eyes off it.

Every step closer made another fragment of memory surface.

Her father's hand.

Adrian's younger voice.

Her mother's scream.

The smell of smoke.

And a fourth voice.

A voice she couldn't place.

"Elena."

Adrian's voice pulled her back.

She looked at him.

"What?"

"Stay with me."

"I am."

"No."

His eyes searched hers.

"I mean it."

Something about his expression made her nod.

They reached the door.

Gabriel stood several feet behind them.

"Open it."

Adrian looked over his shoulder.

"You first."

Gabriel laughed.

"Still suspicious."

"Still alive."

Gabriel's smile disappeared.

He stepped toward them.

"Open the door, Elena."

She looked at the handle.

Her fingers trembled.

"I don't have a key."

"You do."

"Where?"

Gabriel pointed toward her.

"Inside you."

Elena frowned.

"That's not possible."

"It is."

Gabriel pulled out a small device.

He pressed a button.

A high-pitched tone filled the hallway.

Elena immediately grabbed her head.

Pain exploded behind her eyes.

She screamed.

Adrian caught her.

"Stop!"

Gabriel ignored him.

The memories came rushing back.

A red room.

Her father kneeling in front of her.

A small black device in his hand.

"Elena, listen carefully."

Young Elena was crying.

"I don't want to."

"I know."

Her father touched her forehead.

"There are things you must forget."

"Why?"

"Because they'll hurt you if you remember."

A woman stood behind him.

Isabel.

And beside her—

Adrian.

Young Adrian.

His face was bruised.

He was crying.

Elena saw him holding something.

A small metal key.

Her father whispered:

"Adrian will keep it safe."

The memory changed.

A gunshot.

Her father fell.

Isabel screamed.

Gabriel stood behind her.

But he wasn't holding the gun.

Someone else was.

Elena turned.

And finally saw the face.

Her grandfather.

The founder of the Black Rose.

He lowered the gun.

"Take the girl."

Young Adrian grabbed Elena's hand.

They ran.

Then another memory.

Adrian hiding the key beneath the red door.

His father finding him.

"Where is it?"

Adrian said nothing.

His father struck him.

"Where is the key?"

Still silence.

Then—

"She has it."

Young Adrian looked toward Elena.

"She doesn't even know."

The memory disappeared.

Elena collapsed.

Adrian caught her before she hit the floor.

"Elena!"

She gasped.

"I remember."

Gabriel stared at her.

"What did you see?"

Elena looked at him.

"My grandfather."

His expression changed.

"Where is he?"

"Here."

Gabriel's eyes widened.

"What?"

Elena pointed behind him.

"You've been working for him."

Gabriel slowly turned.

Nobody was there.

Then the lights went out.

A gunshot echoed.

Gabriel dropped.

Adrian pulled Elena behind him.

"Stay down."

Another shot.

The hallway filled with smoke.

A figure appeared through it.

An elderly man walked toward them.

Silver hair.

Black suit.

A cane in one hand.

Elena knew him immediately.

Her grandfather.

The founder of the Black Rose.

He smiled.

"Hello, Elena."

Adrian raised his weapon.

The old man looked at him.

"Put that down."

"No."

"You've become quite troublesome."

Adrian's voice was cold.

"You killed my father."

"Yes."

"You tried to kill me."

"Yes."

"You destroyed Elena's family."

The old man looked at Elena.

"Her family destroyed itself."

Elena stepped forward.

"You killed my father."

He nodded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he betrayed me."

"He tried to protect me."

"Exactly."

Elena's hands curled into fists.

"You erased my memories."

"I protected you from them."

"You stole my childhood."

His expression remained calm.

"I preserved your life."

"You don't get to call that protection."

For the first time, the old man's smile faded.

"You sound like your father."

"Good."

He studied her.

"Then you have his stubbornness."

Adrian stepped between them.

"Enough."

The old man looked at him.

"You should be dead."

"I've heard that before."

"Your father should have killed you."

"He tried."

"And failed."

Adrian raised his weapon.

The old man smiled.

"If you shoot me, you lose the only person who knows how to recover your father's evidence."

Elena looked at him.

"The final file."

"Yes."

"What's in it?"

"Everything."

"Then give it to me."

"I will."

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

The old man looked at Elena.

"Because the Black Rose belongs to you."

Elena stared at him.

"What?"

He reached into his coat and removed a small black folder.

"Your father was never meant to inherit it."

He handed the folder to her.

"You were."

Elena didn't take it.

"No."

"Your bloodline is older than the Black Rose itself."

"I don't want it."

"You don't understand."

"I understand enough."

The old man stepped closer.

"You were born into this."

Elena shook her head.

"I was born to my parents."

"And they were born into this."

He looked toward Adrian.

"So was he."

Adrian's expression hardened.

"Don't involve her."

The old man laughed.

"You already are."

He pressed a button on a remote.

Screens around the hallway flickered on.

Dozens of photographs appeared.

Politicians.

Businessmen.

Police officers.

Judges.

Then Elena saw something that made her blood run cold.

A photograph of herself.

Taken only days ago.

She looked at Adrian.

"How long have they been watching me?"

Adrian's expression was grim.

"Too long."

The old man smiled.

"Since birth."

Elena looked back at the screens.

Then one final image appeared.

A photograph of Elena and Adrian together.

Taken outside the mansion.

Underneath it was a single sentence:

**THE HEIR AND THE KEY.**

Elena's heart sank.

"What does that mean?"

The old man looked between them.

"You're the key."

He pointed toward Adrian.

"And he is the heir."

Adrian went still.

"The heir to what?"

"The Black Rose."

Silence.

Elena looked at Adrian.

He looked genuinely shocked.

The old man smiled.

"Your father never told you, did he?"

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"Tell me."

"Your father didn't inherit the organization."

The old man stepped closer.

"You did."

A loud crash came from the entrance.

The guards shouted.

The old man looked toward the corridor.

"They're here."

Adrian raised his gun.

"Who?"

The old man smiled.

"The police."

Elena frowned.

"Why?"

He looked directly at her.

"Because someone just leaked the final file."

Adrian's phone vibrated.

He checked it.

His face changed.

"What?"

Elena moved closer.

"What's wrong?"

He showed her the screen.

A news alert had appeared.

**MASSIVE BLACK ROSE LEAK EXPOSES GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION.**

Below it was another headline.

**ADRIAN BLACKWOOD NAMED AS SUSPECTED LEADER OF CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION.**

Elena stared.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

More alerts appeared.

Then one final message.

**RUN. THEY'RE COMING FOR BOTH OF YOU.**

Adrian looked at Elena.

For the first time, he seemed to understand.

They weren't being hunted anymore.

They had been framed.

And whoever had released the file had made sure the entire world believed Adrian Blackwood was the leader of the Black Rose.

The old man smiled.

"Welcome to your inheritance."

Then the police stormed the building.